Earlier today, webOS chief Stephen DeWitt said that the unlocked Pre 3 smartphone is being launched in very select areas, and he wasn't exaggerating. The phone already landed on European store shelves just one day prior to HP shutting down its webOS-based smartphone and tablet plans. But now there's confirmation that HP has no plans to bring the third Pre device to the United States whatsoever.
Still, there's a glimmer of hope for North American Pre owners wanting to upgrade: the device will work to some extent on AT&T's and T-Mobile's network. According to PC Magazine, it can access both carriers' 2.5G EDGE networks, but for the 3G bands, the hardware only supports 900, 1900 and 2100 MHz. AT&T users will need both the 850 and 1900 MHz bands for full coverage, so 3G will be limited. Unfortunately, T-mobile users will simply be stuck with EDGE.
Like the TouchPad, HP has decided to drastically reduce the price of its Pre 3 smartphone: down to a mere $75. The phone already sold out in Germany, but consumers in the UK and France will be able to snag the device for the "fire sale" cost now until supplies last. That said, determined AT&T and T-Mobile customers here in the States may be able to order the $75 gadget overseas and have it shipped straight to their doorstep.
Originally launched alongside the TouchPad, HP's Pre 3 smartphone features a 3.6-inch, 480 x 800 display, a 5MP camera with image stabilization, autofocus and an LED flash, 720p HD video capture, a 0.3MP front-facing camera, a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, 512 MB of RAM and a single-core 1.4 GHz Qualcomm processor.
